Monthly Archives: March 2016

As the weather starts to tease us with spring flowers and warm sunshine, I decided to create a tasty Easter brunch cocktail for you. While the kids have their baskets in hand, searching frantically for colorful Easter eggs hidden between blades of grass and the occasional flower pot, it’s cocktail time for the grown-ups! Where there’s Easter brunch, there are delicious beverages that abound…and we’re not just talking about bubbly Mimosas. This year for your Easter brunch, we’ve decided to take it up a notch on the fun meter and let’s just say there’s candy involved. Add a little vodka and what we have is the perfect brunch cocktail bar – a self-serve Skittles Vodka station! With a little planning ahead, Skittles Vodka brings all the colors of Spring right to your table.

TASTE THE RAINBOW – 5 STEPS to SKITTLES VODKAWhen you think of Easter treats, it’s classic candies that often come to mind, like chocolate bunnies or Peeps. For the adults at your celebration, a brightly hued cocktail could also be considered a special treat and nothing beats a frozen bottle of Skittle-fruit-infused vodka. You’ll need to plan 2 days in advance to make your Skittles Vodka, but with only 2 ingredients and a little patience, you will be thrilled with the results. Let’s get started!

TOOLS ::5 – 8.5 oz glass bottles or flasks with seals – I found mine at The Container Store online5 cups for separating each Skittle colorSmall funnelCone coffee filters – 10-20 filters depending on how much you want to strainMason jars for straining

INGREDIENTS ::1.75L bottle Vodka – you don’t need the most expensive vodka, but stay away from the cheap ones2 large bags of Skittles

STEP ONE

STEP ONE :: Prep and OrganizeOrganizing your table with all tools and ingredients ahead of time is essential. Make sure you’ve pre-washed all your bottles or flasks ahead of time. You may want to cover the area in paper because things can get a little sticky. Be sure everything you need is right at hand and things will go quickly.

STEP TWO

STEP TWO :: Separate your Skittle FlavorsPour all your Skittles onto the table and start separating them into individual colors. Place each color into it’s own container to keep them from rolling all over the place. You’ll need about 50-60 Skittles per 8.5 oz. bottle.

STEP THREE

STEP THREE :: Add Skittles and Vodka to BottlesPlace each color of Skittles into it’s own bottle. Using the small funnel, pour vodka into each bottle, within about a half inch or more from the top. You want to leave a little room at the top so don’t fill it all the way.You should now have 5 bottles with Skittles soaking in the bottom. Give each bottle a good shake and you’ll see the color quickly present itself. You’ll let these bottles sit overnight for the best flavor infusion. Every few hours, make sure to give each bottle a really good shake to help the Skittles dissolve. I shook mine about 4-5 times each to really activate that color and flavor.

STEP FOUR

STEP FOUR :: StrainingHere’s where you’re going to need the most time and patience. Your Skittles infusion will now have a bunch of white gunk floating at the top of the bottle from the inside of the Skittles. We need to strain this out, so grab your Mason jar or other cup along with the coffee filters. Fit the coffee filter onto the jar and wrap excess filter around edge to secure. Pour fluid from each color into a jar, through the filter. You’ll have to wait as the infusion soaks through, then pour another bit in until all the liquid has been filtered. If the filter clogs with the white gunk, use a spoon to scrape it away or simply change the filter to a new one (that’s what I did). You can filter out the white Skittles gunk twice if you’d like it to be more clear and if you have the time, I recommend this. Now you’ve got 5 bottles of Skittles infused vodka!

STEP FIVE :: Freeze and ServeFirst things first – get those bottles in the freezer! You’ll want to chill these until you’re ready to serve and since vodka doesn’t freeze, you’re fine placing directly in the freezer. Now it’s time to set up your Easter Skittles Vodka Bar. Since the sweetness of the Skittles vodka carries quite a powerful flavor punch, the best way to serve this cocktail – and stay oh-so calorie conscience – is to simply add Club Soda!

Set the scene for your self-serve bar with a shot glass (for measuring a shot of vodka per drink), a bin of ice, plenty of tall glasses and some Club Soda and you’re ready to go. Guests will love picking their favorite Skittles flavor for their cocktail and trust me…they’ll be coming back for more taste testing as the Easter festivities continue!

BONUS ROUND!If you’re not hosting an Easter brunch yourself, Skittles Vodka makes a great hostess gift! Simply add a nice hang tag (we got these from The Container Store) with a personalize note and your hostess will be thrilled at your thoughtfulness.

The perfect hostess gift!

Get your bunny ears and Easter bonnets ready, as Easter is fast approaching! If you’re ready to put in about 2 days of planning and preparation, you can “wow!” your family and friends with this colorful and tasty treat. So between the egg hunts and filling all those Easter baskets for the kids, it’s important to remember to have some adult treats, too — cocktails included!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, I can’t help but mentally flip through visions of the many quintessential St. Patrick’s Day icons. Think Leprechauns and corned beef and cabbage served on menus throughout town. Think mugs of green beer and shots of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey along with “Kiss Me I’m Irish” t-shirt-clad friends. Yes, March is here and it’s time to celebrate all things green, Irish and festive so we’re presenting a drink you’ll soon add to your annual St. Patty’s Day party line-up – a Guinness Stout Milkshake. The best-known of Irish beers, Guinness is a dry stout beer that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness in 1759 at St. James Gate, Dublin. And while there are stories and even books written about how to properly enjoy a Guinness (including the science of perfecting the perfect pour into a pint glass!), we’ve found a way to build on this beauty of a beer by making it into a milkshake worthy of even the King of all Leprechauns! Enter Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and some chocolate ice cream and this beloved Irish beer enters a whole new level of St. Patrick’s Day greatness. This milkshake is easy to construct with only 3 ingredients, it’s delicious and as soon as you make it for your friends everyone will be asking for the recipe!

HOW TO MAKE IT :: Add all ingredients to blender in the order listed above. Blend until smooth. Pour contents into pint glasses. Garnish with swirl of whipped cream and ribbon of chocolate syrup.

As you and your friends happily sip away at this delicious Irish treat, you can impress your friends further by explaining to them that not only is Guinness beer famous worldwide (it’s served in 150 countries), but it’s also the reason the Guinness Book of World Records exists! The idea for a “book of records” began in the early 1950s when Sir Hugh Beaver, the Managing Director for the Guinness Brewery created the very first book and provided it as an advertising promotional item to pubs that served Guinness beer! The first edition of the book even carried the historic “Guinness Irish Harp” logo on its cover, much like every bottle of Guinness displays to this day.

So feel free to proudly sport that “Kiss Me, I’m Irish!” t-shirt this year and impress your friends with a little Guinness Stout history and an amazing Irish Milkshake that will make you re-think ever reaching for another green beer on St. Pat’s Day!